Ruggedized klystron



1961 A. E. SCHOENNAUER, JR 3,011,088

RUGGEDIZED KLYSTRON Filed Aug. 25, 1950 Eilll I 7 5 u I a M W 2 H... 4 ln Fllll H G 5 3 H FIG.5

INVENTOR.

ARTHUR E. SOHQENNAUEgk BY /zfl @WM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,011,088 RUGGEDIZED KLYSTRON Arthur E. Schoennauer, Jr., Silver Spring, Md., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Filed Aug. 25, 1950, Ser. No. 181,480 4 Claims. (Cl. 3155.54)

The present invention relates in general to high frequency velocity modulated electron tubes of the type known as klystrons, and more specifically to an improved klystron which is of extremely rugged construction and is therefore well suited for use in guided missiles.

It has been found that klystrons, as manufactured up to the present time, have not been sufiiciently rugged to be capable of withstanding the conditions present in guided missiles under acceleration, with the result that the frequency of oscillation of such tubes is often varied to a substantial degree, rendering them useless.

One of the principal objects of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a klystron which is so constructed mechanically that it will be enabled to withstand without loss of calibration the shocks and vibrations present in a guided missile under acceleration.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electron tube of this character which embodies improved adjusting means for the cavity resonator employed.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision, in a klystron, of means for reinforcing and ruggedizing to increase the resistance of said klystrons to deformation under shock.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be appreciated readily as the same becomes understood by reference to the following detailed description, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of the improved klystron according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the improved klystron, partly in elevation;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device;

FIG. 4 is a detail section, on an enlarged scale, particularly showing the adjusting and locking screws for the cavity resonator tuning mechanism; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail section in the plane 55 of FIG. 4.

Referring to the drawings, and first more particularly to FIG. 2, conventional klystron structure comprises a suitable base 1 carrying a metal envelope 2 which is evacuated and contains the heater and the electrodes. This envelope 2 has a lower cylindrical wall 3 of relatively large diameter, a wall 4 of smaller diameter and a circular head 5 of intermediate diameter. A flexible flat radial flange 6 connects walls 3 and 4, and permits said walls to move longitudinally wth respect to each other to a limited degree.

An inner partition 7, constituted by a continuation of wall 3 at the junction of flange 6 and wall 3, remains substantially stationary when flange 6 is flexed. A smoothing grid 9 is carried by a diaphragm 8 secured to wall 4, and a second smoothing grid 10 is located in a central opening of partition 7, said parts thus defining the resonant cavity 11 of the klystron. When the wall 4 is forced downward, it flexes the flange 6 for shifting the diaphragm 8 toward the stationary partition 7 and grid 10, thus diminishing the size of said cavity for effecting electrical tuning thereof.

The improved klystron of the present invention includes a stiffening jacket 12, shown in elevation in FIG. 1 and in section in FIG. 2. This jacket is made of metal such as steel and has a relatively thick wall. Said jacket is secured firmly and intimately to the envelope 2, as by a Patented Nov; 28, 1961 ice.-

sweated solder connection 13. As best seen in FIG. 2, the jacket 12 has a thickened upper rim 14 which affords a strong abutment and support for the cavity resonator adjusting and locking screws which are described below.

A rigid metallic ring 15 is secured to the outer surface of head 5 of theklyst-ron, preferably by sweat-soldering so as to constitute in effect a circumferential flange forming a continuation of said head. Evenly spaced adjusting screws 16 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, pass through holes 17 in the ring 15, and are threaded into correspond- 1 ingly located tapped holes'18 in the rim 14 of the jacket 12,'fo r interconnecting the head and jacket. Locking screws 19, located between successive adjusting screws 16, are threaded through tapped holes 20 in the ring 15 and bear against the upper face of the rim 14.

From the above description, it will be clear that the adjusting screws 16 which pass freely through the ring 15 and are threaded into the rim 14, will draw said ring toward the said rim when tightened. The locking screws 19, on the contrary, when tightened, tend to force the ring 15 away from said rim, thus locking it in an adjusted position. Adjustment of the position of the ring 15 will correspondingly adjust the size of the resonant cavity 11, due to flexure of the flange 6.

As is obvious, the functions of the screws 16 and 19 are interchangeable. That is, the screws 19 may be used for shifting the ring away from the rim 14 and the screws 16 for locking the ring in position.

It should be understoodthat, since the jacket 12 has a thick steel wall, effective reinforcement will be provided for the entire klystron, so that it will be capable of withstanding shocks and vibrations of the order present in a guided missile under acceleration. The ring 15 is rugged in construction and is adjustably secured to the jacket in such a robust manner that, once it has been set for tuning the cavity resonator to a desired output frequency, it will retain its calibration under the most severe oper ating conditions.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. In a klystron having conducting walls defining a cavity resonator, rigid supporting means surrounding the cavity resonator and connected to certain of said conducting walls, resonator tuning means connected with certain others of said conducting walls, and adjusting means connecting said tuning means with said supporting means and movable for shifting said tuning means with respect to said supporting means whereby said resonator may be electrically tuned, said adjusting means comprising at least one screw threaded into said supporting means, and at least one locking screw threaded in said tuning means and bearing against said supporting means, and being capable of operation wholly from one side of said klystron to adjust said resonator and secure it in its adjusted position. e

2. In a velocity-modulated electron tube having conducting walls defining a cavity resonator, means for retaining the cavity resonator in adjustment in the presence of shock and vibration, including a jacket connected to certain of the conducting walls, a ring connected to certain others of the conducting walls, and means for adjustably connecting the ring with the jacket, said lastnamed means 'being movable for tuning the cavity resonator and being operable wholly from one side of said ring, said last-named means also comprising a plurality of adjusting screws extending through the ring and into the jacket, and a plurality of locking screws disposed about the ring alternately with respect to said adjusting consequent change of the frequency of oscillation there-- of in the presence of shock and vibration, said means including a metal reenforcing jacket whereby the klystron is strengthened to resist forces present in a rocket in flight, and 1 tuning means forthe cavity resonator, said tuning means including a ring, adjusting screws jiassing through the ring into the jacket, and locking screws threaded into said ring and bearing against-the jacket.

4. A klystron comprising abase, an evacuated envelope mounted on said base, said envelope having a first cylindrical wall mounted on said baseand a second cylindrical Wall mounted on said first Wall so that said first and second walls are in end to end relationship, other walls carri'ed by said cylindrical walls forming a resonant cavity in said-envelope, a cylindrical jacket fitted around said envelope to reenforce the walls of the latter, adjustable means carried by said cylindrical jacket adjacent one end thereof for varying the dimensions of said resonant cwvity thereby tuning the cavity to the desired frequency, and means for locking said adjustable means.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,31 1,65 8

Hansen et a1. Feb. 23, 1943 2,400,743 Clifford May 21, 1946 "2,464,230 Harrison Mar. 15, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS V v r 582,693 Great Britain Nov. 21, 1946 

